Just a Little Diplomacy
by Lrnd


Author's note:  
  
Honorary Nietzchean is Lucy's work. I just wanted to write a beginning to how it happened.  
  
Beka looked at the home world of the Sabra-Jaguar pride, as she was about to bring the Maru to port. Such a pretty planet for such a pretty leader as Charlemagne Bolivar. Even though he was a self-serving Nietzchean bastard. But you couldn't argue with genetics. Genetics gave them a great bod, but what a lousy attitude. She sighed as she remembered the last time she had seen him. He had such a great ass. Genetics had been kind to him as it had been with most Nietzcheans she had seen. Lucky bastards. Their own blood wouldn't let them get fat and ugly, unlike her, a 'poor' human who had to fight a history of Flash and work to keep her body in fighting condition. Speaking of lucky bastards, here was her own personal Nietzchean trainer.  
  
Her eyes drifted down the steel mesh vest to his tight leather pants that had a holster slung onto those slim hips. He didn't notice her studious gaze as he checked on the planet through the view screen.  
  
"Such a small planet for such a small man." Tyr said.  
  
"Funny, those were almost my thoughts exactly." Beka smiled at him.  
  
"What were your thoughts then?" He turned his gaze towards her, his chocolate eyes showing amusement.  
  
"I was thinking a pretty planet for a pretty man." Tyr snorted at that. Did she really think Bolivar had been attractive? He was so weak, especially compared to him. Tyr knew that Beka found him attractive. Just now, he had felt her body heat as she gazed at his body. Or as Beka would say "checking him out." He liked the fact that Beka found him attractive, but he was jealous at the thought that she also thought Bolivar was attractive too. Jealous? Did he just think jealous? He snorted again at the thought.  
  
"Bolivar is weak. Everything was handed to him. He has done nothing of noteworthy." Tyr said with an expression caught between a snarl and sneer.  
  
"Tut, tut, Tyr. You forget. He merged the Sabra and Jaguar prides with his marriage to Elsbet." She remembered the woman with rancor. She had called her a kludge!  
  
"True." Tyr reluctantly admitted. Tyr passed her several flexis as he sat down in the chair next to her to prepare for landing.  
  
"What is this?" Beka said as she skimmed the flexi in her hand.  
  
"Read it and you will find out." He relented at Beka's look of panic at the prospect of reading a long report. "They are updated reports on Bolivar. His recent activities and such. He has recently married several other wives. All for the political reason of allying himself with other prides. He now has 10 wives and 13 children by them." He said with distaste. "He has fulfilled very Nietzchean male's dream." Tyr said bitterness apparent only to those who knew him well. Beka was one of those who knew Tyr. They had been through a lot together. They had fought Magog, Nietzcheans, pirates, psycho warships and the list went on. She went jogging with him every morning. He was her workout buddy, he was her crewmate, and he was her friend.  
  
"Tyr, he hasn't done anything great compared to you. SO what if he has wives and kids. You are helping to create a Commonwealth, a league of nations. You survived Magog attacks, Harper's bad jokes, my bad hair days." Beka joked. "You are a much better man than Bolivar will ever be." Tyr smiled at her attempt to cheer him up. She was a good friend, this beautiful woman. Beautiful? Tyr wondered at the path of his own thoughts.  
  
He knew he had been attracted to the salvage captain the first time he had seen her. She was courageous, she was smart, and she was sneaky when times called for being sneaky. The sexual tension between them had reached its pinnacle at that dinner they had together, that seemed so long ago. When he told her that he would never be interested in a human woman. Wouldn't she be surprised at the thoughts that he had now. He glanced appreciatively at her. The blonde hair, the sparking blue eyes, and the limber body that he helped form into perfection. Unlike Tyr, Beka couldn't note the heightened body temperature of the Nietzchean beside her as she concentrated on the landing.  
  
"Perfect as usual." Beka said as she quickly left to her room to get dressed. She and Rommie had argued long and hard on her wardrobe to the Sabra – Jaguar home world. She was entering a possible dangerous situation, so she wanted to be dressed to kill, literally. Rommie argued that this was a diplomatic mission so she needed to wear eveningwear. They compromised. She emerged wearing a black gown with two high slits on the sides. Underneath she wore a pair of tight pants. She had a pair of knives strapped to one leg and a force lance on the other. The front of her dress dipped low, showing a hint of cleavage. Tyr thought that she looked stunning.  
  
"You look very nice, Beka."  
  
"Thank you. Let's go greet our hosts." Beka and Tyr walked out together and saw that Bolivar was there to meet them.  
  
"Beka. You look absolutely delightful!" His hands held Beka's as she twirled for him showing off the gown. Tyr emitted a low growl that had the guards going for their weapons. Bolivar waved them off. Elsbet looked at Beka and asked imperiously, "Where is Captain Hunt?"  
  
"Dylan has to finish up negotiating trade treaties on the Andromeda, but he'll be here soon."  
  
"Come let me introduce you to my other wives and my children." Bolivar said proudly as he rubbed the fact in Tyr's nose. Beka placed her hand on his forearm as he led them to a large room.  
  
"This is my eldest son and future alpha of this pride, Merios." He showed off a young boy of twelve who looked much like his father Charlemagne. Tyr felt a flash of paternal jealousy. He was in his prime. He should be mating and having children. Perhaps Beka?  
  
Beka held her hand out to the boy. Merios stared at the hand. Beka grabbed his hand and shook it.  
  
"This is an old Earth custom. It's how people greet each other." Beka explained. "I believe that it was to show that each person had no weapons in there hand."  
  
Charlemagne laughed. "That is a good custom then. Eh?" He gestured to his other children to come forward and introduced them to Captain Valentine and Tyr. He showed them around his compound. He took Beka's hand in his own and once again led the way. Beka gawked at the decadent wealth apparent in the dwelling. Tyr looked disgusted at the ostentatious display.  
  
Beka's stomach growled. "Archduke, this tour is fascinating, but Tyr and I haven't eaten in hours. Perhaps we could stop at the kitchens for a snack?"  
  
"I have prepared a feast in your honor." He said and led them to the dining hall. Hall was quite apt for the room they were led to was extremely large with huge sky windows. "Tyr was appalled at the danger it presented to security and said as much to Beka. Bolivar overheard, "Do not worry, it is quite safe. There are force fields that would prevent an attack and planetary security is very good. The discussion of security apparently over, they sat down to eat.  
  
They discussed unimportant matters throughout the meal. Beka looked at Tyr and whispered, "Now what happens?" Tyr bent his head low and whispered in her ear, "Now the males display for females by publicly fighting." He looked at Beka's earlobe and resisted the urge, barely, to take a taste. Beka was not unaware of his closeness. He sniffed her hair and smelled the femaleness of her. After the several fights, Beka claimed that she was tired. Elsbet, imperial as always, gestured for a lower wife to show them to their rooms.  
  
In her room, she had started to take off the jewelry that Rommie had foisted on her when an alarm sounded. She raced to the room where Tyr was staying in.  
  
"What's the problem?!?" She shouted to Tyr. Suddenly the building shook and she fell onto Tyr. Tyr held her steady against his strong chest. Beka could hear his heart beat strong. In the midst of obvious chaos and danger, Beka was shocked to see that she could still think of sex. Especially sex with Tyr. Especially with his bare chest ready to be licked…Bad Beka! Concentrate. Beka pulled away with obvious effort. they felt another blast. They saw Bolivar's younger wife, Mariemaia running.  
  
Beka grabbed her arm. "What's happening?"  
  
"We're being attacked by the Drago-Katsov pride. Somehow they had undermined planetary security. I've got to get to the children's wing! My son!" Her distress was palpable. Beka ran alongside. Tyr went to command to see if he could be of any help.  
  
The Dragons were already there, setting fire to everything. One of them knocked Mariemaia out. Beka took out her force lance and began to attack. She was able to disable several of the enemy. Her training with Tyr was paying off. She was out of ammo. She took out her knives as she circled the remaining Dragon.  
  
"Kludge, I will kill you. Your screams will echo through these corridors!"  
  
"Why is it that bad guys always say that? Never anything original." He attacked, she ducked and feinted to the left. Through the smoke it was difficult to see and make out each other. She swiped at nothing and by chance landed a killing blow. He choked out a final breath. Her knife had struck a lung and he was choking to death on his own blood. Beka felt a spark or pity, but smothered it, Mariemaia had awakened a while back and took off running to find her children. Beka found her outside the room with a hole through her heart. Beka felt tears run down her face as she saw a mother who had sacrificed her life in an attempt to save her children's lives. She never had a mother who would do that for her.  
  
Fire was consuming everything in site. All the children were huddled together in the center of the burning room. Beka jumped through the raging fire rolling onto the floor to beat the flames.  
  
"Don't worry kids. I'll get you out of here." They looked at her with disbelief. She noticed a sink and broke the faucet off. A fountain of water was created. Beka took the blankets and wet them thoroughly. The older children understood at once. They picked up the younger children in their arms. Beka placed the soaking blankets on the group of children. They ran through the fire. Suddenly, another blast tore through the building. The ceiling caved in.  
  
Two children had not yet made it through. Beka grabbed Merios and his sister Mariana and tucked them underneath her body. Her back was burning. Oh God! The pain was crippling. She would have collapsed onto the floor if she weren't already there. She pulled them to the fountain of water, which cooled her back. Something fell on her back. The weight was so heavy, but she withstood it to keep the children form being crushed. Something sharp pierced her. Darkness was claiming her sight. Splotches of black. Merios looked into her face with worry he could smell the blood dripping onto his body.  
  
"Captain Valentine? Beka?" Beka could hear someone calling her from far away. She thought she heard a roar.  
  
The children had made it safely and the Dragons had been repelled with help form the Andromeda. The children were telling the adults what had happened. How they could see Captain Valentine bravely fighting the evil Dragons, how they saw a Dragon kill Mariemaia, and how Captain Valentine had saved them.  
  
"But she's still there! She couldn't get out with the ceiling falling in. Merios is there too!" Bolivar looked panicked and raced to the burning children's wing. Tyr made it before them. The fire was being put out. Tyr pulled at the pieces. He could hear the children screaming for help, but he could not hear Beka. He frantically pulled off the fallen ceiling. There! There was Beka. But something was wrong. She wasn't moving. The children ran to Bolivar.  
  
"Father, Captain Valentine saved us, but she's hurt. She's hurt real bad." Bolivar looked at the prostrate figure lying on the rubble. Tyr had bent down and he could see the large piece of wood that had pierced her side and he could see the bad burns on her back. He gently picked her up and raced to Medical.  
  
Somehow, Tyr was able to bring her to the Andromeda and to Trance's waiting hands. Tyr laid Beka onto the table. She was so tiny. She thought she was so tough, but she really was fragile. So fragile. Dylan took him aside as Trance and Rommie got to work on Beka's broken frame.  
  
"Don't worry Tyr. She's in good hands." Tyr nodded. His heart heavy with things not said. "Get your hands treated and get a good rest. Your no good to her like this." Dylan motioned to Harper who fixed Tyr's hand with a bandage.  
  
"Dylan's right. Beka will be fine. She's a fighter." Harper left Tyr in his room to brood silently. Dylan looked grim at Trance's prognosis. Beka had lost a lot of blood, had a lot of burns, and was currently in a coma, a coma she might never wake from. Tyr was stricken at the news. Harper started to cry. Rev began to pray.  
  
1 Hours later…  
  
Tyr was beside Beka's side in Medical. Trance had just left to do water her plants and Tyr snuck in. Andromeda had noted another life sign in Medical, but saw that it was only Tyr. She monitored him.  
  
"Woman, you had better wake up. It is time for our jog. No sleeping in!" Beka was lifeless. He clutched her hand and kissed it, his face wet with tears. Every morning when Trance went to water her plants, Tyr snuck in to talk to her privately.  
  
"Whatever possessed you to go into a burning room? It is obvious that you aren't Nietzchean! You don't have the survival instincts." Beka had been floating and when she heard this and groaned. Tyr heard the sudden change in her breath. He began to shout. "Ship! Trance!" Andromeda had already noticed the change in Beka's condition. And her avatar was on her way.  
  
"Oh Beka, I'm so glad you are awake!" In a rare sudden display of emotion he kissed her on the lips gently. Beka's eyes flew open at the gentle touch. Tyr embarrassed, stood away when Trance and Rommie worked on Beka. The nanobots had healed most of the burn damage while she had been out. The entire crew was soon at MedBay celebrating Beka's awakening. Bolivar, learning of Beka's reemergence into life, invited them to a celebration planet side. Tyr was adamantly against it.  
  
"He let his planet get attacked by the Drago-Katsov where Beka had to save his progeny at the risk of her own life and he wants her to go back down to that hell hole !?!" Dylan smiled.  
  
"Tyr, it is Beka's choice and she wants to go down there."  
  
"Yeah, Tyr it is my choice and I want to see the rug rats I risked my life for." Tyr still looked mutinous. She was up and about, barely, and still looked fragile. Her skin was translucently pale. She had just started a solids diet. She wavered a bit and Tyr took hold of her. Even when she steadied he would not let go. She relented and let her body lean against him. Her lithe white frame against his darkly masculine one was an interesting picture thought Dylan. He knew that Tyr was in love with the indomitable Captain Valentine, even if Tyr hadn't admitted it to Tyr yet.  
  
A Week Later…  
  
Beka was wearing a backless evening gown, with two high slits on the side.  
  
Tyr thought she looked beautiful. "It was a good idea to show off your battle scars. Now they will know what you did for them."  
  
"I didn't do it to show off Tyr. I just couldn't find a dress that would hide all the scars, so I said, 'To hell with this!' and just chose the dress that showed the most." She laughed, but Tyr was distressed at the sound of it. It wasn't the strong laugh she had before, it had a glasslike quality to it. He went over and held Beka. Beka leaned against him comforted.  
  
When Bolivar came to greet them, Tyr would not let Beka go and kept her near him. Charlemagne just shrugged. The dining hall had been rebuilt to the same specifications it had been before the attack. The only noticeable difference was that there were no more skylights. Bolivar gave Beka an ironic smile. She sat down, but Bolivar did not. He spoke, strongly and clearly. He gestured to Beka. "I give you Captain Rebeka Valentine, savior of our future!" After the resounding applause, he had the children tell the story. With their childlike simplicity and honesty, the story sounded epic.  
  
"I declare Captain Rebeka Valentine and honorary Nietzchean pf the Sabra- Jaguar pride!" Everyone clapped. The crew of the Andromeda looked shocked, but soon began to applaud as well. Tyr was stunned. He never thought of this eventuality and the repercussions were just beginning to sink in. 


End file.
